412 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



generally rather brittle or friable. The color is usually gray or 

 3'ellowish, sometimes stained with brown ; the lustre on the sur- 

 faces of the plates is pearly. 



Quartz. Various varieties of quartz are met with here. The 

 common transparent, crystalized form called Rock crystal, is often 

 found filling cavities, with fine needle like crystals, pointing inward 

 towards the centre from all sides. Smoky quartz is occasionally 

 met with in good specimens, both massive and in perfect crystals, 

 which are generally transparent or nearly so ; the color is usually 

 dark smoky brown. Base quartz is found in masses of a light pink 

 color, but not often transparent or sufiSciently free from cracks to 

 be of much beauty. Much better specimens of this variety have 

 been obtained at another locality about a mile farther east. At 

 this place a large mass was once obtained, as I have been told, for 

 the purpose of making a large mortar for grinding the materials 

 used in the manufacture of artificial teeth. 



Blende. This ore, which consists of sulphur and zinc, has been 

 found in small quantities. The only specimens that I have seen, 

 were small masses or imperfect crystals, of a yellowish brown 

 color. 



Apatite. A massive variety of phosphate of lime, is not uncom- 

 mon here. It is of a dull light gi'een color, and rather soft. 



Brookite. Small dark brown crystals having a brilliant lustre, 

 are often found imbedded in albite and other minerals from this 

 locality, which appear to be brookite or oxide of titanium, but I 

 have not been able to procure a sufficient amount of the mineral to 

 ascertain its nature with certainty. 



Zircon or Hyacinth. Beautiful crystals of this rare mineral, well 

 known as a gem, have been detected during the past year imbed- 

 ded in the albite. They are square octahedrons of small size, with 

 a brilliant lustre, semi-transparent, and bright red or brownish in 

 color. 



